Shubman shrugged, a sheepish grin on his face. "It was the first name that came to mind. Besides, it worked, didn't it?"

Abhishek mimicked him, "IT wOrKeD diDn'T iT?"

Soon, they stood outside the meeting hall, ready to leave. As they walked, they saw Prince Ishan riding his horse beside them, heading towards the King's palace. Abhishek (the real one) glanced at him and shook his head, "His nature is absolutely nothing like a prince, Prince Shubman. He'll probably be a loose king. An easy target and—" He turned his head, realizing that nobody was listening to him. He looked behind to see Shubman a distance away, stopping at a vendor to buy apples.

Shubman waved at him. Abhishek, taking quick and kind of grumpy steps towards him, said, "Will you ever listen to me?" "I will, when you say something worth listening to."

"Yes, because I am an idiot, right 'Abhishek'?" Abhishek snapped back, his words filled with sarcasm.

"Okay, alright, I agree....It was stupid of me."

"You could've just said something like...like, Arjun!"

"Well, now there's no use pondering over it. Whatever's done is done."

Abhishek sighed. Shubman continued, "Anyways, do you think we should go to the southern part of Patliputra though, like Prince Ishan suggested?"

Abhishek frowned, "But why? It's not like we're actually traders, trading spices and textiles for stones...."

"Who said we're going to go there for trading? We're about to explore the city."

"I need to take a nap first, though."

***

"You killed her! You killed your own mother!!" His father screamed.

"I didn't do anything, father...."

~

"It's okay, Prince. He loves you, he is just a bit angry..."

"He hates me! He hates me!!!!" Ishan cried in Dev's arms.

~

"Ishan! Ishan, wake up!"

"Fa....Father.... please, don't abandon me.... please!" Ishan moaned in his sleep, his words slurring and almost inaudible.

"Ishan, it's me, Raj, your brother. I am here, it's okay," Raj whispered, as he hugged Ishan tight, patting him on the back, "It's alright, sweetheart." Ishan opened his eyes slowly at hearing his brother's words. His nightmare subsided. He had accidentally fallen asleep while working. He sat up straight and immediately hugged Raj, wrapping his arms around his elder brother.

Torturous memories of his childhood flashed before his eyes, back when his father was still mourning his mother's death even after Ishan was 5 years old. On his fifth birthday, when Ishan went to King Pranveer, his father, to get his blessings, he was pushed away by him.

The King shouted and screamed at him, calling him a curse. Ishan found solace in Dev's arms, and that's when he declared that he would never celebrate his birth anniversary. Years passed, his father did not mourn anymore, but the tension remained. King Pranveer always found a reason to be disappointed in Ishan, be it marriage proposals, or something else entirely.

Back in the present moment, Raj was there to support him. "Did you dream of it again?"

Ishan gave him an affirmative nod and said, "It happens everytime my birth anniversary approaches near. I can't stop thinking about it.... thinking about his wrath.... It's eating me up!"

"Hey, calm down, alright. None of it was your fault," Raj reassured, "And didn't you get some good sleep last night? How come you slept whilst working?"

"Yes, I slept late. I couldn't stop thinking about...." He paused, not wanting to tell his brother how he fantasized about the new trader in their kingdom, "About today's meeting, I was nervous about how it would go like...so I couldn't sleep."

"You don't have to worry about chairing meetings, Ishan. You are just fine. I will have to leave now. Take care, dear."

Ishan smiled, as he saw his brother leave. Ishan got back to the traders' files, where all the new traders were registered. As he was reading and analysing each one, he found something strange.

***

Abhishek was done with his nap, when a guard approached their room. He knocked at the door, and Shubman opened it.

"The Prince requests your presence in his office," the guard announced, "Only the taller Abhishek has been called."

Shubman was clearly the taller one, so they knew who Ishan was calling. He raised an eyebrow, intrigued. Abhishek, on the other hand, felt a pang of anxiety. "Do you think we're in trouble?" he whispered to Shubman.

"You shall find out find out soon enough," The guard replied curtly.

Shubman turned towards Abhishek, "Looks like we will have to postpone our visit to the southern part of the kingdom."

"Clearly."

***

When Shubman reached the Prince's office, the guard opened the door and gestured for him to enter. Shubman stepped inside, finding Ishan seated at a large wooden desk, several scrolls and documents spread out before him.

Ishan looked up, his gaze steady. "So, Abhishek," he began, turning a few sheets in his register. "It has come to my notice..." He paused, his eyes scanning the pages, "that you aren't registered in our files yet. I hope you understand it is a crime to trade in our city without being registered in the official files."

Shubman stepped forward, his demeanor respectful but composed. "I am very sorry, Your Highness," he said. "But we haven't yet started trading in the products of your city. Yes, we are traders, and we have recently traded in spices from the Dravidian country. Currently, we are simply trying to gain knowledge about the products of this city of Patliputra. As soon as we make a decision, we shall get ourselves registered."

Ishan wasn't hearing even half of what Shubman said. All his mind was focused on were those adorable dimples on his cheeks. He felt like he wanted to kiss them.

He was craving to kiss them.

After mentally smacking himself for having that thought, he replied, "Okay, so you say you're here only to see the market? Like a reconnaissance mission of sorts?"

Shubman nodded. "Yes, Your Highness. We want to ensure that we make informed decisions about our trade ventures. Patliputra has a rich market, and we wish to understand it thoroughly before committing." He felt as he managed to handle the situation properly for the meantime.

Ishan tapped his fingers on the desk, his expression thoughtful and his eyes fixed on Shubman's, "Abhishek, it is wise to gather information before making a move. However, you must understand that we have laws and procedures in place to ensure the safety and order of our trading system."

"I won't disappoint you, Ish....Your Highness."

Ishan looked down, trying to prevent a smile coming on his face. As Shubman took his permission and left the Prince's office, he wondered if Ishan still doubted him and would send spies after him and Abhishek.

His thoughts were interrupted by Ishan's voice calling him from behind. "Abhishek?"

Shubman turned around.

"Let me show you the market personally tomorrow, if that is fine with you?"

His heart skipped a beat. Why was a rival prince affecting him so much? To Shubman, all of this felt so wrong, yet so right. There were not many instances in his life where his heart wanted something different than his brain. It was like God himself wanted to spoil him. Shubman just couldn't help himself, but be drawn to the man in front of him.

He smiled (blushed, actually), "Absolutely, Your Highness. It would be an honour to have your company."

***

That's it for today! See you in the next part❤️
Thanks for reading 💖

Just two adorable babies adoring each other💗